Thammakai investigation

[GWR]

This meeting at Wat Dhammakaya looks like an awfully dodgy move for an embattled PM. I sense that very few people know what Dhammakaya is really about, apart from the fact that it seems to equate to some sort of Buddhist Fascism and Freemasonry. Or is that just the rumor mill?

In the meantime, Khun Thaksin really does seem to be working overtime to vote-buy the 'Kah Rachagarn' before the next election. So much so that the planned religious content of his speech completely slipped his mind.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006...l_30009043.php

DHAMMAKAYA SPEECH
PM turns temple talk to politics

Religion takes back seat as Thaksin and co appear to lobby local officials

At yesterday's gathering of about 78,000 local administrative leaders held to honour His Majesty the King, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday spent much of his time during his speech attacking his political opponents and defending himself.

He blamed his opponents for the political crisis, saying that they did not respect the rule of the game.

"They lost [in the election] but they didn't accept it. Instead they verbally abused me from the sidelines," the embattled premier said.

His speech, at the Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani, was supposed to focus on how to use religious teachings in national development.

Thaksin pointed to the need for another round of political reform. He also said there was a need for national reconciliation. "If we continue to bicker, our country will be left behind," he told the gathering.

Thaksin praised the local administrators, saying their improvement had gone beyond his expectation.

He also praised the rural poor. "[The urban educated people] often look down on the poor. They say the poor won't be able to repay their debt," he said. "It's been proven that bad loans among the poor are lower than business people's. The poor are more democratic than those who look down at them."

Thaksin promised a fair distribution of funds to all local administrations, regardless of their political preference. He also vowed that rural school students would soon get cheap laptop computers worth no more than Bt4,000 each.

At one point he admitted that a one-party government, like his, has its weak point. "We grow alone while other parties don't. This is not a middle path," he said.

Earlier, Deputy Interior Minister Somchai Sunthornvut spent 80 per cent of his one-hour lecture talking about government promises. He vowed free university education for local administrators, and satellite-based, high-speed Internet access as well as video-conferencing systems at all 7,000-plus tambon offices.

He promised a videophone for each tambon and tap water in every village - all within five years.

Somchai denied that the event was held to benefit the caretaker government or organise a pro-government demonstration. No previous administration had spent as much money on rural development.

"We are the only government which speeds up spending for your benefit. It takes a lot of money but you do not need to spend a single baht," he assured the audience, almost all dressed in yellow shirts.

Each tambon had been given Bt5,000 to cover the cost of sending local leaders to the gathering, which cost the state Bt39 million.

The government has a poor record on decentralisation and its sudden interest in local administrative leaders has surprised many political observers.

Somchai made pledges on school buses, water trucks and buildings that could later be converted into schools. He said there were still 14,000 villages without access to tap water and he would visit each once they were supplied so he could be the first to use the new tap water. If he keeps this promise it will take him more than 30 years of daily visits.

Many of the participants came from the South, the stronghold of the opposition Democrat Party. They were accommodating when asked about the government's promised package of assistance.

Some administrative leaders began leaving the 2,000-rai temple compound after lunch, hours before Thaksin was supposed to address the crowd at 6pm. By 5pm, more than 5,000 had left.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Pathum Thani

[Scuba22]

Originally Posted by GWR

I sense that very few people know what Dhammakaya is really about, apart from the fact that it seems to equate to some sort of Buddhist Fascism and Freemasonry. Or is that just the rumor mill?

I certainly know nothing abot Dhammakaya - can you elaborate?

Thanks!

Scuba22

[ncr]

Dhammakaya (more phonetic transcription: Thammakai) has featured quite a few times on 2B.

For starters:

http://2bangkok.com/news02.shtml#dham
http://2bangkok.com/news04a.shtml#thammakai

thread 1 (starting from post 3)
thread 2 (starting from post 17; with links to the temple's offical site etc.)

[ncr]

Now completely in high resolution on Google Maps/Wikimapia - the splendour of megalomania. Seems they have three UFOs in varying sizes now......

The temple's homepage. In the "Visitor's Zone", have a look at the images of the mass gatherings at the "Cetiya"..... am I the only one who is reminded of the Reichsparteitage in Nuremberg?

[Scuba22]

Wow, that's totally awesome, thanks for all these links!

Scuba22

[GWR]

This report does nothing to dispel the notion that Dhammakaya has strong fascist leanings:-

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006...s_30009203.php

BURNING ISSUE
PM shines at the temple of riches

Thaksin uses taxpayers' money to blast 'sore losers' at event held to honour the King

The government-organised event in honour of His Majesty the King at Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani was a win-win move for caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the temple. But it also revealed how some people can seek personal benefits while claiming otherwise.

Thaksin got the chance to massage his ego by talking at length to nearly 80,000 people, the largest-ever assembly of elected local administrators.

He got the chance to criticise his political opponents as bad losers who do not respect electoral rules and results, despite the fact that a court nullified the April 2 general election.

Thaksin and his underlings also got the chance to stage a de facto political campaign by promising more populist freebies.

Thaksin also seized on the opportunity to project an image that he is still very much in the ball game and will not be bowing out - or be forced out - of politics any time soon.

Then the embattled premier went on to praise the scandal-ridden Dhammakaya Temple, in effect forging a significant alliance, as the temple commands some 200,000 to 300,000 followers, most of whom come from the educated middle class.

All this was achieved with a budget of Bt39 million out of taxpayers' pockets.

"I once sneaked into this temple and asked myself: 'Is there really such a great temple as this?' I was pleased to see it," Thaksin said, his comments broadcast live on local TV and via satellite to viewers outside Thailand.

The remark brought a big round of applause from hundreds of white-clad Dhammakaya followers, who offered their "free" services to the two-day gathering. The temple has been out of the media spotlight for a few years following a big scandal, and must be pleased to be getting such positive attention this time.

A special publication and CD were distributed promoting the temple to all the participants, and its senior monk got a chance to give a sermon.

In a way, Thaksin and Dhammakaya Temple are a natural alliance. Thaksin is one of the Kingdom's richest people and Dhammakaya Temple is known for its business-like accumulation of wealth and merits.

The temple is full of expensive modern mega-edifices, such as a giant hall shaped like a flying saucer. Its covered prayer hall, where the administrators met, is surely one of the country's largest.

The temple can accommodate as many as 300,000 worshippers when both floors are fully utilised.

Plastic bags distributed by the temple are printed with the motto: "Get rich quick, get really rich, all become rich."

It's the kind of thing multi-billionaires such as Thaksin could identify with and approve of.

Tuesday's event has shown that the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) does not have a monopoly on using the King as a pretext for political activities.

Although the PAD has stepped up its allegation that Thaksin is an anti-royalist, claiming his recent reference to "a charismatic person outside the Constitution" who opposes him could be a reference to the King, the game can be tricky.

Recently, a Chiang Mai University law lecturer claimed in the local media that PAD spokesman Suriyasai Katasila was not a genuine royalist.

The lecturer said Suriyasai had confided in him that he would try to find a way to atone for having acted as such a fervent royalist.

Those who disapprove of Thaksin but oppose using the monarchy as a reason to organise anti-government protests say relying on the King does not bode well for the future self-reliance of the people, or for participatory democracy itself.

However, both sides appear resolved to project even stronger royalist images in the near future, at least in public.



Pravit Rojanaphruk


The Nation

[Jromerz]

Setting the stage to replace the traditional powers - the blue and white on the flag ... Lets hope that the changes won't bring too much turmoil (or violence?) to the country

[Stephen Cleary]

For anyone foreigners interested in ordaining as a monk i would highly recommend you contemplate Wat Dhammakaya.

Here is the latest Wat Dhammakaya brochure. Please have a read.

Perhaps it's a joke, i got it through my email. (hmmmmm)

"For those looking for enlightment, our temple - Wat Dhammakaya is just the place. We are taking Buddhism into the 21st century! All our kutis (monk quarters) are completely air-conditioned with all the latest mods and cons. We have 24hr high-speed Internet access, state of the art Yoga complex and MP3s for listening to our abbot's glorious teachings.

You will never be hungry. Our super-rich disciples who come in the form of Chinese businessmen and politicians - bring only the best food. Twice a day you can scoff your way crazy through a bonanza of delicious food!

Our temple offers our monks only the very best in transportation. As a long-term monk you can reserve a whole charade of Mercedes Benz cars to take you to some tiring funeral or wedding ceremony.

There are gyms, DVDs, swimming pools, jacuzzis - the lot! What else could you ask for in life!

Our temple is state of the art and we are sure the Buddha would have been proud of it!

PS: Since our temple receives a lot of applicants, it is advised that secure yourself a powerful connection first. We advise that you contact someone of very high imporatance before applying for ordination at our temple. Thats because we dont accept any old riff-raff right of the streets. Our temple prides itself in only the highest calibre of monks!"

[Wisarut]

The missing elements within Dhammakaya Complex are:

1) Cafe
2) Discoteque
3) Soapland
4) Game Arcade

Well, Ee Leelawadee Wacharobon (devote Dhammakaya disciple) has run out of money so SHE has to become a shared wife of Dhammachaiya and Dattacheewo .... alogn with the routine works in SPA of Ai Dhammachaiyo




REF: http://www.thaiinsider.com/board/view.php?No=3417

[Stephen Cleary]

Who the heck wrote this letter to the Nation today?

Thanks to 2bangkok.com for the inspiration!



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PM should play it safe and set up TRT headquarters at Dhammakaya Temple

After admiring our beloved caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin for putting on yet another breathtaking performance at the Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani, I would like to suggest that he shift the whole Thai Rak Thai Party there.


There is no other venue better suited to the premier. Shaped like a massive flying-saucer-looking space dome, the place can hold an astonishing 250,000 people at one time. The "UFO temple", as it is popularly known, has a top-notch security system and a whole squad of security guards. The temple has all the latest state-of-the-art IT technology and an amazing 300,000 disciples.


It is great to see Dhammakaya back in the news after its revered reputation was sabotaged by the media in connection to embezzlement and corruption a few years back.


Thaksin was reported to have said last week that he was impressed by the place - and no wonder, it's paradise on earth. Who in their right mind would not want to be ordained there!


Should he move his headquarters to the biggest flying saucer in the world, he will be in the shadows of the late Dhammakaya "miracle monk", Luang Pu Wat Paknam, who was known for his miracles, prophecies and supernatural healing powers. What more could Thaksin hope for in times of trouble than a few heavenly miracles from Dhammakaya?


Many of the temple's miracles once headlined Thailand's newspapers for weeks on end. Followers are taught that the allied powers, during World War II, had planned to test out their atomic bomb on Bangkok! It was only through the intensive meditation of Dhammakaya monks, that Japan was bombed instead!


Not only that, but there were headline reports of meditating nuns who had been witnessed floating in the sky at the same time the bombs rained down on Thailand during World War II. Quite miraculously none of them hit Dhammakaya!


What more could Thaksin dream of than such heavenly intervention.


Following the tried and true technique of "make merit, give a big donation and get rich" - I do hope that Thaksin popped into the temple's shop and bought a few mementoes. Personally, I liked the Dhammakaya golf shirts with the temple's flying saucer logo stitched on the front. Long live the Dhammakaya temple and the Thai Rak Thai Party, they would make one wonderful partnership!


Steve Suphan


Suphan Buri

[GWR]

Special 'Nation' Opinion article by Mettanando Bhikkhu, a former Wat Dhammakaya member:-

TRT and Dhammakaya Temple - perfect match

Being a former core member of Phra Dhammakaya Temple for nineteen years, I am compelled to write this article after having observed the latest developments in both Thailand's largest Buddhist community and its largest political party. It is my hope that this might shed light on certain aspects of the new socio-spiritual relationship, which may jeopardise national security.

I believe that the Thai Rak Thai Party and Phra Dhammakaya Temple make a perfect couple. The only difference between them is that one is a political party and the other a Buddhist monastery. They share the same philosophies of management and administration and both use the media relentlessly for self-promotion. Thai Rak Thai and Phra Dhammakaya Temple are huge organisations - two of the largest and most powerful in the country. Their leaders are known to be shrewd investors, bold enough to take on new risks - both are equally fond of the latest technologies, capitalism and modernism in general. However, while their leaders are strong, they have also both been tainted by allegations of corruption and embezzlement. Not only are their goals the same - to assume power - but they also share common enemies.

Seven years ago, while Thailand was in the midst of an economic crisis, Phra Dhammakaya Temple launched a massive fundraising campaign to assist in its ambitious plans to construct a gigantic pagoda. This pagoda, worth over US$500 million (Bt18.7 billion) was named the Dhammakaya-cedi. In order to encourage the public to support this project, the leadership of the temple claimed that its guru possessed supernatural powers. This brought the temple a great deal of criticism in the media.

The crisis the temple's administrators faced at the time was the worst a Thai Buddhist monk could ever imagine. First, there was a series of four letters issued by the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand commanding that the abbot be defrocked. Then, a series of investigations of the temple's finances followed. The temple's abbot was charged with several counts of embezzlement and public fraud, including one count of lese majeste against HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. All of these were serious charges. Criticisms against Phra Dhammakaya Temple extended not only to its aggressive fundraising, but also regarding the heterodox promotion of Buddhism and the abbot's lavish lifestyle. In retaliation, the abbot of Phra Dhammakaya Temple, Dhammajayo, retaliated aggressively. His lawyer filed a lawsuit against every individual who had (supposedly) incorrectly quoted his name or misinformed the public. The abbot also expanded his mission by whatever means were available before he was forced to officially resign from his position. Phra Dattajivo, his deputy, became abbot, however for practical purposes Phra Dhammajayo remained in control.

Realising that his true enemy was neither the Ecclesiastical Council nor the Thammayuttikanikaya sect, the former abbot turned to politics in order to restore his power. In the senatorial elections of 2000, Dhammajayo supported candidates with links to the Thai Rak Thai Party.

The former abbot of Phra Dhammakaya Temple was the first one to initiate contact with members of Thai Rak Thai. It was decided that the Thai Rak Thai Party would have Dhammakaya's backing. Thai Rak Thai representatives were given the opportunity to speak to the temple's followers, who were urged to cast their votes for the party, as it would naturally be beneficial for their master and temple.

According to the law of karma as promoted by the temple, Thaksin Shinawatra was hailed as the ideal lay Buddhist, who had been blessed by the merit of his past lives and was endowed with a great many virtues. The temple played a song praising Thaksin composed by the Phra Dhammajayo himself on its Dow Tham satellite television channel - broadcasting 24 hours a day. However, the gathering clouds of controversies and criminal investigations surrounding him prevented Thaksin from visiting the temple. Nevertheless, senior Thai Rak Thai leaders, such as Sudarat Keyuraphan and Suriya Jungrungreangkit, began regularly attending the monastery.

The Thai Rak Thai-Phra Dhammakaya Temple relationship proved mutually beneficial. It allowed the Thai Rak Thai Party to promote itself with greater efficiency. Phra Dhammakaya Temple also began broadcasts on Dow Tham. Using a massive budget and having recruited qualified personnel - all inspired by the Doctrine of Dhammakaya - the satellite television channel produced a series of programmes, enriched with computerised images and attractive animations, thus capturing the eyes of the younger generation. The star of the channel is Phra Dhammajayo, whose talk-shows have dealt with the retribution of karma - ie the whereabouts of people after their deaths, thus revealing his transcendental insight.

However, the Tipitaka (the Buddhist canon) reserves this insight for the Buddha only.

Never before in its history was the temple able to expand its powers so quickly. The temple was able to significantly build up its local, national and international networks after Thai Rak Thai came to power.

At the end of August of this year, all legal cases against Phra Dhammajayo were released from the judicial process. These decisions were based on utilitarian grounds - in consideration of the former abbot having returned all the money he and his disciples had taken for the pagoda, and because he had contributed to the public good by teaching Buddhism. The former abbot of Phra Dhammakaya Temple has now been cleared of all criminal charges, much to the delight of his followers. However, this is a source of great dismay to other Buddhists, who feel that justice was not served. The political turmoil facing Thaksin Shinawatra's leadership this year cemented the relationship between the Thai Rak Thai Party and Phra Dhammakaya Temple.

For Phra Dhammajayo, victory for the Thai Rak Thai was the equivalent of a victory of his own, and votes for that party were the same as votes for the security of his temple.

The political turmoil of this past year has completely changed the nature of politics and the religious landscape of Thailand for good. Followers of Phra Dhammakaya Temple and Thaksin believe that the alliance between the two serves their best interests. It must be remembered that the overarching threat to Thailand is no longer just Thaksinomics, but the real menace is the Dhammakaya-TRT consortium.

General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said that last week's coup was triggered by the deep divisions in Thai society. There is little doubt that the unholy alliance between Phra Dhammakaya Temple and Thai Rak Thai has contributed in no small part to this polarisation.

In the wake of the coup, both Thai Rak Thai and Phra Dhammakaya Temple have kept a low profile. They can be expected to lay low for the time being waiting for an opportunity to spring back. Their greatest concern is what the coup-makers and the interim civilian government plan to do with them in the course of trying to uproot the culture of deceit and corruption by the Thai Rak Thai Party and what the likely repercussions of this would be for Phra Dhammakaya Temple.

Mettanando Bhikkhu

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006...n_30014752.php

[Wisarut]

Khun GWR, it has been well known fact that both Ai Maew and Dhammakaya have fored (un)holy alliance .... Look at the attempt to appoitn the acticng Supreme Patriarch from Dhammakaya's cronies in Saffron clothes as one of many exmaples ...

[GWR]

06 June 2007
Royal Thai Police Special Branch monitors Thammakai group
The Royal Thai Police Special Branch have been instructed to keep close watch on the Thammakai group's religious demonstrations.

Inspector to the Royal Thai Police Special Branch Division 1, Pol Lt Col Natthasate Sariman (ณัฐเศรษฐ์ สาริมาน ), revealed that the Thammakai group have been found to be conducting politically motivated demonstrations to pressure the government into enacting Buddhism as Thailand's national religion in the constitution. Authorities believe the Thammakai group may reinforce other political group's demonstrations. The Special Branch has therefore been assigned to closely monitor the situation.

Pol Lt Col Natthasate reports that his division has also been instructed to study the Thammakai group's bank account movements in order to determine whether their funds have been used to further political activities. The Special Branch Inspector added that monks belonging to the Thammakai group in various provinces are being monitored, though no reports have been received of political movements on their part.
Reporter : RTI-Reporter06

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglis...d=255006060043

And something else I would like to know is whether the organization in the following linked news item, that the correspondent called 'Universal Energy', is anything to do with Thammakai?:

http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bang...ead.php?t=2450

[Wisarut]

For the case of Phalang Chakkarwarn (Universal Energy) by Ajarn Suwinai, it is NOT related to Dhgammakaya .... Ajarn Suwinai used to support Thaksin until he saw that Thaksin is heading into totally wrong way ....